The Israeli army claims to have killed “dozens of terrorists” in another ground operation against the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The army announced on Saturday morning that there had been numerous attempts to attack Israeli troops from tunnels and military installations in the northern Gaza Strip the previous day.
Soldiers killed terrorists, found Hamas weapons, and discovered tunnels that were used for terrorist purposes. Israeli tanks destroyed three Hamas observation posts in the northern Gaza Strip and killed several of them in battles with 15 terrorists, he said.
During the night, the Israeli army also carried out a targeted attack in the southern Gaza Strip to clear buildings and defuse explosive devices. During the operation, troops encountered a terrorist cell that emerged from a tunnel. The troops fired at the terrorists and killed them, he said.
According to a media report, the US government expects a new phase in Israel’s campaign against Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip in the coming days. US broadcaster CNN reported on Saturday night, citing a senior government official in Washington, that a reduction in airstrikes and a greater “tactical focus on the ground campaign” were expected.
According to the official mentioned, the objective is to clean up the huge network of underground tunnel complexes from which Hamas operates. As humanitarian aid continues to flow into the Gaza Strip, the US government expects “a reduction in what we have seen” regarding massive Israeli airstrikes to date, the report adds.
Since the large-scale terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, in early October, Israel claims to have attacked more than 12,000 targets in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, ground troops are also advancing against Hamas terrorists and military targets.
Following massive airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp that Israel says were the masterminds of the October 7 massacre, Israeli infantry claimed to have found Hamas operational plans, maps and communications equipment, as well as personal data on commanders and terrorists. , according to military information on Friday. This information would be evaluated by the Israeli intelligence service and made available to the army for future battles, he said.
50 terrorists were killed in the operation in Jabalia. According to Palestinian reports, many civilians were among the victims. The Israeli army says it cannot yet say how many civilians were killed. Information from both sides can hardly be independently verified.